


The Better To Take You

by Verai



Series: RDR2 tumblr Requests [13]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Ending, Biting, F/M, Red Riding Hood Elements, Rough Sex, Smut, Spoilers, Supernatural Elements, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-30
Updated: 2019-06-30
Packaged: 2020-05-31 10:42:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19424344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Verai/pseuds/Verai
Summary: You get thrown off your horse and it runs away, spooked by all the howling you hear in the forest. Left alone on the path to the next town in the middle of the night, you have no choice but to walk the rest of the way. But what dangers lurk in the shadows?





	The Better To Take You

**Author's Note:**

> @horsegirl1h asked me for a werewolf Arthur, and I was incredibly happy to oblige! This is a high honor on the streets, low honor in the sheets kind of Arthur.

Dressed in a riding skirt and a short-sleeved blouse, you wrapped your dark red cloak tighter around you as a light breeze sent the chill of the night past your skin as you rode down the forest path. You looked up at the river of stars running across the sky and sighed. Your parents had sent you alone to check on your aging grandmother. They had to take care of the shop and couldn’t spare the time to check on the old woman, but you could go. You loved your grandma, but she lived on her own in a cabin in the middle of the woods, a full three days’ ride away. 

Well, it was a three-day ride if you only rode while it was light out. Your grand plan was to ride for as long as possible, maybe trim it down to a two day trip. 

You heard the howling of a wolf in the distance. Your horse whinnied and reared back all of a sudden, much to your surprise. He hadn’t been spooked before by the sounds of wolves. Holding desperately to the reins, you tried to calm him down, but he'd have none of it. 

"Easy boy, easy!" you cooed, trying your best to stay calm. But then another howl rang through the forest, and your horse's eyes widened and he jolted through the forest in the opposite direction. You pulled on the reins again, but your horse had enough of you; he kicked and flung you out of the saddle. 

You landed in a bush off the rough trail, scraping your arm. Groaning, you got up gingerly and brushed yourself off, checking for any other injuries. Your ankle hurt a bit, and blood trickled down your arm. Great. Just what you wanted. You tore off a piece of your cloak and wrapped your arm before continuing on, keeping an ear out for the wolf. It had sounded far off, and you wondered why your horse had spooked so bad. You pulled the gun from your haversack and kept walking. 

***

It had been an hour since you lost your horse, and whistling for it didn't help. He had probably ran all the way back home, the coward. No matter. You could get to the next town and send a message to your folks, let them know you were alright. 

But you were getting sleepy, and being on alert this late at night, with you being as tired as you were, wasn't helping your energy levels. As you kept walking, hoping to come across a cabin or a shed along the way, you heard a rustling in the bushes behind you. 

Turning around, you stared dumbly at the giant wolf that slowly walked towards you. It made no sudden movements, no attempts to hide itself. It just stared at you as it plodded along. 

You raised your gun. It paused. 

"Stay back."

It stayed where it was. 

Then you heard howling coming from a different direction. The wolf turned its head, it ears perked up and listening. 

You took this moment to turn and run down the road. You heard the wolf loping after you. 

"Damn damn damn damn!" 

There was a crashing of bushes to your left as three smaller wolves came out onto the path, blocking your way. You quickly skidded to a halt and took a deep breath. This was it, then. A bunch of wolves tearing you apart, all because you wanted to see your grandma. 

Except the wolf that had been behind you walked in front of you and started growling at the other wolves. They, in turn, started growling back.

Taking advantage of the standoff, you took a shot at one of the smaller wolves, hitting it between the eyes. It fell over, causing the other two to back off a few steps. But they quickly regained their composure, both leaping towards you.

The giant wolf went for one of them while you shot at the other. Five shots later, you had completely missed. Shooting a moving target was much harder than a stationary one. Realizing you had no more ammo, the other wolf decided to go after you at full speed.

You turned and ran, adrenaline making you forget your injured ankle as you ducked into the forest and zig zagged through the trees, leaping past rocks and bushes—

Then your cloak got snagged on a branch.

You tore it as you pulled away, but that gave the wolf precious seconds to catch up to you. It barreled into you, knocking you onto the ground. As you stopped rolling and ended on your back, you looked up just as the wolf landed on top of you, its claws digging into your chest. Your death was staring you in the eyes and you stared back, pissed off and scared as hell.

Then the wolf suddenly flew up and hovered in the air above you.

And then you saw behind it.

A giant wolf monster, standing on two legs, held up the wolf and cracked its neck. Hucking the body behind it, the creature turned its golden stare onto you. Its nostrils flared and its breath clouded in the cold night air. The moonlight gave it an unholy halo as it stalked towards you and let out a low growl.

You couldn’t breathe. The last thing you saw was the wolf monster’s large jaws, dripping with blood, and the heavy thump of its paws was the final thing you heard before you fainted.

***

The sound of a man humming a song gently woke you. You blinked your eyes, noticing that you were in a tent, lying on a bed roll. Your cloak was folded next to you, your bag on top. Sitting up, you checked to make sure all your clothes were intact before crawling out and into the light.

A man was sitting at a campfire, making coffee. His blue shirt had a few mud stains, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His jeans were worn and faded, his boots scuffed.

“Rise ‘n shine, miss.” 

He turned, and you were met with the bluest eyes and warmest smile you had ever seen. He had a short beard and light brown hair that looked soft and feathery. You found yourself wanting to reach out and bury your fingers in his hair.

“G-good morning,” you stammered. Had you dreamed up the whole thing with the wolf monster? “How did you find me?”

“I was out huntin’, found you passed out in the forest. Couldn’t leave a lady alone to get eaten by wolves.”

“Did… did you see any wolves nearby?”

“Just heard some, but I didn’t see any.”

You sat across from him and considered his words. Maybe you had imagined everything last night in a fevered dream, fueled by exhaustion and fear. You looked around and whistled. The man watched as you stood up. You winced when you put weight on your ankle, but you slowly hobbled in a circle, continuing to whistle.

Yup. Your horse was gone.

“Need a ride?”

You looked at the man, somewhat suspicious. “I’ll be fine.”

He raised an eyebrow at you. “I find you passed out in the forest with a cut on your arm and your cloak all tore up. Forgive me fer not believin’ ya when ya say you’ll be fine, especially with how you was walkin’ just now.”

You sat back down in a huff, noticing the bandage around your arm. “Thanks for bandaging me up,” you mumbled. “And yes, if you don’t mind. I could use a ride.”

He grinned as if you had said something funny. “Where you off to?”

You told him the name of the town that was closest to your grandmother’s house. At least then you could walk from there, and he wouldn’t know where she lived. 

“That’s two days away on horseback. Were you plannin’ on walkin’ there?”

“I had a horse…” you said, trailing off.

“Wolves, I reckon.”

“Yeah.” You paused before asking, “You ever see a giant wolf around these parts?”

“How giant?”

“The size of a pony.”

The man scoffed. “Nothin’ that big. Maybe just looked bigger at night.”

You sighed. Maybe you really  _ had _ imagined it all.

“Should we get going then?” you asked. “Gonna be three days if we don’t leave soon.”

The man chuckled. “Let’s finish breakfast first. Git to know one another, at least exchange names.”

“Oh. Yes.” You told him your name, and a little bit about the town you came from.

“Name’s Arthur. I’m just a hunter from out west, lookin' fer some new furs.”

You smiled. “Also rescuer of ladies, it seems,” you joked. “Thank you.”

His eyes carried some heat when he looked at you, and his voice was low and rumbly, stirring something low in your body when you heard him. “My pleasure, darlin’.”

***

You rode sidesaddle on the back of his horse, a big warhorse that could probably carry a whole family. Holding onto the back of his saddle, you watched the world go by at a slow pace, wondering why he wouldn't go faster. 

Then he stopped altogether. 

"What—" 

He hushed you by turning and placing a finger on your lips as he scanned the forest, his eyes staring out through the trees, the mid-morning sun filtering down. He got off the horse and pulled you down, quickly carrying you towards a fallen tree and hiding you behind it. 

"Stay here. Don't come out unless I come find you. No matter what you hear."

You nodded and hid. 

A few minutes later, you heard other horses approaching. 

"Well well, a lone traveler. Ain't that a shame. Maybe you should give us some of that money you got, and we'll let you leave."

Then you heard gunshots and ducked further down, hoping that Arthur was alright. He had just saved you, and was now risking his life to keep you safe. And you had thought that chivalry was dead. 

You heard the gunshots stop, heard footsteps coming closer to your hiding spot, and braced for the worst. You let out a sigh of relief when you saw Arthur, a little grazed, but otherwise unharmed. 

"It's safe now, miss. We can go." He kneeled down and gently lifted you up, one arm under your knees, the other around your back. He held you as if you were a precious treasure, his grip on you as solid as iron. 

You held onto him tightly as he carried you back to his horse. You felt a warmth go through your body at his touch, and craved more. 

***

It was nearly sundown when Arthur pulled off the main road into the trees, finding a small clearing far enough from the path where a small tent wouldn’t be bothered. 

Lifting you off his horse and carrying you to a log to sit on, Arthur grabbed the bedroll and tent, setting the bedroll near you while he started putting up the tent. Keeping your weight off your bad ankle, you rolled the bedroll out and sat down upon it, gathering up your cloak to use as a blanket and your haversack as your pillow.

“What’re you doin’?”

You looked up at Arthur. “Setting up my sleeping spot?”

He pointed at the tent he had just finished putting up. “No way am I lettin’ a lady sleep out in the open. Git yer things in there.”

“But—”

“This ain’t up for debate.”

You grumpily took your bag and your cloak and put them inside the tent. Then you helped Arthur start a campfire while he pulled out some dried meat and a can of vegetables out to share with you. You still had some bread and some dried fruit in your bag for the trip, so the two of you managed to have a somewhat filling meal.

“I’ll hunt somethin’ tomorrow,” he said as he sat on the bedroll next to you, his arm close to yours. All you had to do was lean over an inch, and you’d be touching him. You didn’t dare, although you wanted to.

“You gonna be okay?” he asked, glancing at your arm and ankle.

You nodded. “Of course. I’m not some sheltered lady. If my horse hadn’t ran, I’d have my tent and bedroll.”

Arthur chuckled before he gently nudged your shoulder with his. “Alright then. Head off to sleep, we’ll get up at first light.”

You nodded and crawled into his tent, wrapping your cloak around you and laying your head on your haversack. As sleep took you, you saw Arthur laying back on the bedroll just outside of the tent, his head turned away from you. You fell asleep pretty quick, feeling safe that he was guarding you.

***

That night, you dreamed of the wolf monster again. Except this time, he wasn’t a blood splattered, growling beast. He looked a bit more docile, but he was still scary.

And you were in his arms, tightly held in his embrace. 

You don’t remember much of the dream, to be honest. It was more like a series of sensations: the soft fur against your skin, the solid heartbeat near your ears, the warmth that surrounded you, making you feel cherished. You didn’t want to leave; you wanted to stay wrapped in that safe cocoon forever, knowing that nothing could hurt you here.

***

You woke up feeling like you had been rejuvenated; the tiredness that had dogged you the entire day yesterday was gone, and you felt like you could travel for another two days straight with no issue. Even your ankle was feeling a little better. 

Looking outside, you saw that Arthur was still lying on the ground on his side, gently snoring. He must have been keeping watch and probably didn’t sleep through the whole night. You decided to let him sleep a little while longer as you quietly took down the tent for him. As you wrapped your cloak around you, you noticed soft fur clinging to the fabric. You brushed away the golden strands, wondering where that had come from; maybe it was from that wolf a couple of days ago?

You shuddered, remembering the wolf monster. It was definitely a dream; things like that did not exist. You must have passed out after the wolf tackled you, and somehow, had been left alone to be found by Arthur. There was no other explanation.

“Miss?”

You turned to see Arthur, awake and looking at you quizzically, his head tilted at a cute angle. It reminded you of your parents' old dog when you were a kid, who would turn his head whenever he was confused by you.

“G’morning,” you said simply, smiling at him. He returned your smile and came to help you take down the tent, gesturing for you to sit down and get off your ankle. 

“You seemed distracted. Somethin’ on yer mind?”

“Um.”

“You don’t hafta tell me if you don’t want to.”

You sighed. “It’s crazy.”

“Maybe it is. Maybe it ain’t. Would you feel better if you got it off your chest?”

You pondered his words for a moment. “Okay. Well. I dreamed. Of a… a wolf-man.”

“And?” Arthur nodded, encouraging you to continue.

“And… he hugged me.”

“Were you scared?”

“No, that’s the crazy part. I felt… safe.”

After a few moments of silence, you finally looked up at Arthur, expecting him to be looking at you like an insane person.

Instead, he was giving you an enigmatic look.

You looked away. "Anyway. Thanks for listening."

Arthur just hummed and pat your shoulder gently.

As the two of you packed up and got back on his horse, you got the feeling that his mind had wandered far away. 

***

"Smells like rain," Arthur mumbled. 

You sniffed the air; all you could smell was the pine trees and Arthur. Not that he smelled bad. He just had a scent to him that made you want to snuggle into his back and wrap your arms around him. You resisted the urge, no matter how much you wanted to. 

A flash of lightning across the evening sky distracted you from your thoughts. You silently counted to three before you heard the thunder, sonorous and foreboding. 

"Better find some shelter for the night. We won't make it to town before the storm hits."

You looked at Arthur, confused. "We're not that far, are we?" You really didn't want to be trapped in the rain. 

"We're another half a day's ride, sweetheart. The storm'll hit in the next hour."

He sounded like he knew what he was talking about, so you decided to trust him. He took his horse off the road and towards the side of a hill, looking for a cave. He found one, a small cavern just perfect to fit the two of you with a small campfire.

He picked you up off the horse and carried you into the cavern. 

"I can walk," you protested, although you loved being in his arms. 

"Better to stay off your feet until you're healed," he grumbled. "I'll bring you some firewood, so you can make a fire. You can stay seated for that."

You nodded and waited. At least he was letting you help in some ways. 

Arthur came back pretty quickly with a pile of firewood and a rabbit. You got to work making the fire while he skinned the rabbit and cut up the meat to cook. You two had a nice meal, filling and delicious. 

Setting up the bed roll for you, he settled on the other side of the fire and lay down, staring at the cave ceiling. You glanced over at him; he was putting his hat over his head, just as the first drops fell from the sky. Turning your attention to the cave entrance, you watched as the rain picked up in a matter of minutes, becoming a wall of water as the storm hit the area full force. You were very glad for Arthur's natural intuition.

Lost in thought as you stared outside, you barely noticed Arthur staring at you from under the brim of his hat. 

"What?" 

He quickly looked away. "Nothin'."

You considered him for a moment as he turned back and eyed you warily. He sat up quickly when you started to crawl over to him.

"You shouldn't be gettin' so close to strange men," he said, his voice growing husky. 

"You're not strange," you replied, growing bold. You gently touched his arm and leaned against him. "You're kind. Thank you for everything. Truly."

Arthur took a sharp breath when you touched him, and now, as you glanced at him, he was watching you with a hunger in his eyes, something carnal and dangerous that you had seen a glimpse of before. 

A thrill went through your body. You wanted him to keep looking at you like he was starving and you were a feast. 

“I haven’t done anything for you. Let me rub your back at least, for all the work you’ve done keeping me safe.”

He shook his head. “Just yer company is thanks enough, miss.” His voice was low and tremulous, as if he was having a hard time controlling himself.

“Please, let me feel like I’m helping you in return,” you insisted. You slowly shifted over to sit behind him, waiting to see if he’d flee. He didn’t. Tentatively placing your hands on his broad back, you started to knead his muscles through his cotton shirt. You worked out the knots in his shoulders and neck; you were rewarded with soft sighs and groans of relief as you dug your thumbs into a particularly bad knot near his right shoulder blade.

“This would be easier if you took your shirt off,” you grumbled.

Suddenly Arthur turned towards you, leaning forward, his face inches from yours.

“You teasin’ me, girl?”

“N-no, I just thought it’d be easier…” you trailed off when he got even closer to you, the tip of his nose grazing your cheek as he moved towards your neck. You leaned your head back, exposing your pulse to him, and he gently bit down on your soft skin, letting out a low growl.

You breathed his name like a supplication to a dark god, wanting to be consumed by the fire that ignited inside of you.

“Last chance. Tell me to stop.” He moved so he could look directly at you, and you swear you saw a golden glow in his eyes for a split second.

You leaned forward and kissed him.

A deep rumble came from his throat as he kissed you back. He pulled you into his embrace, his hands splayed out on your back. You broke away from the kiss to take a deep breath. Looking into his eyes, he gave you a steamy smile. You smiled shyly back.

"What big hands you have."

"The better to hold you with, darlin'." 

He gently nuzzled your lips with his before kissing you again, sweetly, lovingly. With each kiss, his passion grew. 

"What soft lips you have," you said, quivering, whether from fear or anticipation, you could no longer tell. 

"The better to kiss you with, my dear."

He grew more hungry for you as his mouth urged yours to open for him. He slipped his tongue inside and tasted you, a rumble of pleasure escaping his throat as he pressed harder against you. His warm body felt like heaven compared to the cold air coming from the cave entrance. As the rain fell, he started to unbutton your blouse, following each loosened button with a kiss to your exposed skin.

You were kneeling before him in just your chemise and riding skirt when he pulled away and took off his shirt. He was all muscles and scars, with a light dusting of hair on his chest. You placed your hands on his shoulders and traced the contours of his arms, admiring him. He watched you as you explored his body, placing kisses on his skin as you learned what this man felt like under your hands.

"Darlin', I want to taste you."

You looked at him quizzically, but he started to unbutton your riding skirt, so you helped him, removing all of your clothes under his heated gaze. He tenderly lay you down on the bed roll and spread your legs, settling himself between them. 

"What are you…?" you started to ask, but then all you could do was gasp as Arthur's tongue ran circles around your labia. With his hands caressing your skin, he worshipped you with his mouth, drawing out every sigh and moan from you with his greedy lips. 

As you grew wetter, he slipped a finger inside of you, slowly spreading you open for him. Soon another finger joined the first, and you were gripping his hair tightly as he sucked on your clit until you came, crying out with your hips jolting erratically. Arthur held you down, keeping you in his tight grasp until you had stilled, taking shuddered breaths.

"Looks like you enjoyed yerself," he teased with a wry grin. He licked his lips. “Delicious.”

Then he crawled further up your body, kissing the dip of your curves, the peaks of your breasts, the hollow of your neck. With his body hovering over yours, you realized how  _ big _ he was compared to you, and you trembled slightly.

He held your face in his hands, looking at you with concern. You responded by putting your arms around his neck and wrapping your legs around his waist. 

“Ready?”

“Yes,” you whispered.

He reached down and guided himself inside of you, his intense stare threatening to make you faint as he slowly slid himself deeper and deeper until he was completely flush with your body, the heat radiating from him making you forget completely about the rain and the cold wind outside. Remaining still as he watched you take deep breaths, he gave you a minute to calm your frantically beating heart.

Then he lifted his hips up and slammed into you.

You cried out in surprise, but it was not an unpleasant feeling. Far from it, in fact. As he continued his rough thrusts, you clung to him tightly, murmuring his name like a prayer; you wanted more, you wanted to completely surrender to him. Leaning your head back, you exposed your neck and he kissed your soft skin once more, licking his way down to where your neck and shoulder met. 

Then he bit you. Hard.

Lost in the heat of his tumultuous desire, you didn’t register the mark he left on you as he pounded into you; the pain was confused for intense pleasure in your addled state, and you just grabbed at Arthur, letting out delicious cries of ecstasy.

“I want you on yer hands and knees, darlin’,” he growled, and pulled away from you, rearranging your body to his liking, with your legs spread and your ass in the air. He shoved himself back inside you, grabbing a handful of your hair and pulling you towards him, making your back arch as he took you once more with steady, rhythmic strokes.

“So beautiful,” he muttered, bending over to wrap an arm around your neck. He reached down with his other hand and stroked your clit. “Come for me again, I wanna feel you let go around me.”

He touched you mercilessly; unable to escape from him, you broke apart in his arms, losing control of your voice as you screamed to the heavens, his cock ravaging you as you spasmed around him. He let you down gently as he continued taking you, until your head was down on the bedroll, his hands on your back and neck, holding you down.

“My sweet darlin’,” he groaned, “Be mine.”

“Yes, yes, Arthur,” you breathed, signing over yourself to him mindlessly.

He let out a low, inhuman growl. Falling upon you, his body crushing yours, he continued to rut into you as he moved your hair to one side of your neck.

“Mine,” he snarled before he bit you once more, his teeth feeling sharper as he broke skin this time, a drop of blood snaking its way down your shoulder. Your senses grew sharper with the pain of his bite; you felt as if his cock was expanding inside you. And was he always this hairy?

Then the moment passed, and he growled as he came inside of you, pressing himself as hard as he could to your body, as if he wanted to meld with you and be a part of you forever.

“Sweet girl,” he whispered lovingly into your ear after a few moments. Then he rolled off of you, pulling you into his arms, and brushed the hair out of your face. Looking at you tenderly, he kissed your lips, the tip of your nose, and your forehead.

You looked at him through the afterglow haze, and blinked a few times. You swear his eyes were glowing a golden hue, and his features were strangely contorted, as if he had some lupine ancestry. But only for a second.

Resting your head against his chest, you fell asleep to the steady beat of his heart.

***

Waking up, you felt like you were sleeping in luxurious furs, wrapped up in warmth and comfort.

Then you blinked and looked up.

The wolf monster.

Except it wasn’t fair to call him a monster. He looked relaxed, like a dog having a good dream. His arms and legs were curled up protectively around you, his breathing deep and slow. His tail was twitching, the soft fur brushing against your legs.

Then he blinked his eyes open, languidly, like a predator waking up after a large meal.

“Arthur?”

His eyes shot wide open; you grew up with a dog, and you knew the look of fear when you saw it. He didn’t move, didn’t even breathe.

You caressed his muzzle and cooed softly to him. “There now, don’t be afraid. It’s alright.”

He pushed his muzzle into your hands and closed his eyes, his ears dropping.

Then in the blink of an eye, a man lay next to you, his eyes open and full of love.

You had heard tales of the rougarou, werewolves cursed by witches near St. Denis, and had dismissed it all as nonsense. But now that proof was staring straight at you, you wondered what else was true.

“Were you cursed?” you asked.

“Or saved, however you want to look at it.” He paused for a moment, considering his next words. “A witch gave me this power when I was dyin’ on top of a mountain. Told me it weren’t my time yet.”

He held your hand against his cheek and turned to kiss the palm of your hand. “She said I’d find someone to devote myself to, and that I’d know them when I smelled them.” He leaned in closer to you, touching the tip of your nose with his. “She was right. You smell of wildflowers and honey, fresh rain and spring breezes, shootin’ stars and twilight.”

Your eyes watered, and you took a deep breath to calm your nerves. You just met him. This was insane.

But he had saved your life. And you couldn’t deny the feeling in your heart that swelled when you looked at him.

He reached for your hands and held them oh so gently in his big ones, as if you would break in his grasp. “I know this is sudden, but please, let me stay by your side.”

You found yourself nodding. How could you possibly say no, with him looking at you with the biggest puppy dog eyes?

His face lit up and he hugged you tight. 

“I’m yours, always,” he said into your hair as you held him back just as tightly, and all felt right with the world.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, I know, in A/B/O fics, golden eyes are signs of an omega, but for this fic, all wolves have golden eyes, and Arthur is 100% alpha. Also learned about the rougarou, a Cajun werewolf; since St. Denis is based on New Orleans, I thought this would be fun. @horsegirl1h, I’ve been feeding you teaser snippets this whole time, but I really hope you enjoyed how it all came together. Thank you for the request!


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